Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 - Tuesday in the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
[Jonah 3:1-10 and Luke 10:38-42]Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.
At present I am at a beautiful retreat center called Picture Rocks outside Tucson, Arizona, to preach two retreats for the clergy. My task, essentially, is to get them to spend some time looking at the Mary side and examining their Martha side in the light of it, instead of the usual vice versa! That task is not simply one for the clergy! In many ways our society is generally inflicted not only with individualism but also with workaholism. The fact that bookstores are full of books that try to introduce people to meditation of various kinds indicates that there is a big need for it. The "scale" of values that we encounter in this story from the gospel is important. Jesus has just finished teaching the scholar of the law about love of neighbor and showing mercy. The true disciple is like the "Good Samaritan." However, the true disciple is like Mary, too, and discipleship begins with sitting at the feet of the Lord and listening to his words. Without that, our "good deeds" remain admirable altruism but not acts of faith and love. Martha was unquestionably taking care of a very important value in Middle Eastern society: hospitality! But even that must take second place to the word of Christ. A Christian life requires an intimacy with the Lord. It is easy to convince ourselves that our work is our prayer! This is very dangerous because we may need prayer when we are out of work! A great Master of the Order of Preachers (our Dominican chief) once said that it is a sad irony that we should get so busy doing the work of the Lord that we forget the Lord of the work! AMEN
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